The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports there were 19,854 watercraft thefts between Jan. 1, 2006, and March 31, 2009.
Data was reviewed for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Of the total reported thefts for the period, 9,060 (45.63 percent) were recovered.
The top five states for thefts, in order, are Florida, California, Texas, Michigan and North Carolina, while the top five for recoveries are Florida, California, Texas, Washington and Michigan.
A value was determined for only 334 of the total thefts, and that amounted to more than $5.2 million in losses with the most expensive single loss valued at $600,000. The average value of these watercraft was $15,615.